• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Modulation of T-Cell Activation by Malignant Melanoma Initiating Cells
  • Contributor: Schatton, Tobias; Schütte, Ute; Frank, Natasha Y.; Zhan, Qian; Hoerning, André; Robles, Susanne C.; Zhou, Jun; Hodi, F. Stephen; Spagnoli, Giulio C.; Murphy, George F.; Frank, Markus H.
  • Published: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), 2010
  • Published in: Cancer Research, 70 (2010) 2, Seite 697-708
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-09-1592
  • ISSN: 1538-7445; 0008-5472
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: AbstractHighly immunogenic cancers such as malignant melanoma are capable of inexorable tumor growth despite the presence of antitumor immunity. Thus, only a restricted minority of tumorigenic malignant cells may possess the phenotypic and functional characteristics needed to modulate tumor-directed immune activation. Here we provide evidence supporting this hypothesis. Tumorigenic ABCB5+ malignant melanoma initiating cells (MMICs) possessed the capacity to preferentially inhibit IL-2–dependent T-cell activation and to support, in a B7.2-dependent manner, induction of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). Compared with melanoma bulk cell populations, ABCB5+ MMICs displayed lower levels of MHC class I, aberrant positivity for MHC class II, and lower expression levels of the melanoma-associated antigens MART-1, ML-IAP, NY-ESO-1, and MAGE-A. Additionally, these tumorigenic ABCB5+ subpopulations preferentially expressed the costimulatory molecules B7.2 and PD-1, both in established melanoma xenografts and in clinical tumor specimens. In immune activation assays, MMICs inhibited mitogen-dependent human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and IL-2 production more efficiently than ABCB5− melanoma cell populations. Moreover, coculture with ABCB5+ MMICs increased the abundance of Tregs, in a B7.2 signaling-dependent manner, along with IL-10 production by mitogen-activated PBMCs. Consistent with these findings, MMICs also preferentially inhibited IL-2 production and induced IL-10 secretion by cocultured patient-derived, syngeneic PBMCs. Our findings identify novel T-cell modulatory functions of ABCB5+ melanoma subpopulations and suggest specific roles for these MMICs in the evasion of antitumor immunity and in cancer immunotherapeutic resistance. Cancer Res; 70(2); 697–708
  • Access State: Open Access